Spark plug installing and removing tool



L. J. GUISTI March 18, 1952 SPARK PLUG INSTALLING AND REMOVING TOOLFiled July '7, 1949 Fig. 3.

Louis J. Guisti Patented Mar. 18, 1952 SPARK PLUG INSTALLING ANDREMOVING TOOL Louis J. Guisti, North Augusta, S. 0., assignor ofthirty-three and one-third per cent to Isaac S. Peebles, Jr., Augusta,Ga., and sixteen and two-thirds Thomson, Ga.

per cent to Thos.

R. Burnside,

Application July '7, 1949, Serial No. 103,514

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements and structuralrefinements in tools for installing and removing spark plugs, and theprincipal object of the invention is to facilitate convenient andexpeditious installation and re-- moval of spark plugs, particularlythose on socalled valve-in-head internal combustion engines ofautomobiles, aircraft, etc., wherein the spark plugs are usually set ina deep recess in the cylinder block, or wherein the spark plugs areotherwise obstructed so that they may not be conveniently installed andremoved by hand and by a conventional spark plug wrench.

This object is achieved by the provision of the instant tool whichembodies in its construction a spark plug receiving socket of sufficientlength to facilitate convenient installation and removal of the plug,together with means for releasably retaining a spark plug in the socketprior to tightening or after loosening of the spark plug is effected.

The primary feature of the invention, therefore, resides in theparticular means which are, employed for retaining the spark plug in thesocket, these means being intended to cooperate with the usualscrew-threaded terminal of the spark plugs, regardless of whether thatterminal assumes the form of a screw-threaded stud or: a screw-threadednut, both of which are com-. 'mon in the art.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity ofconstruction, in its convenient and expeditious operation, and in itsadaptability to economical manufacture.

With the above more important objects and features in view and suchother objects and features as may become apparent as this specificationproceeds, the invention consists essentially in the construction andarrangement of parts as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a cross-sectional view of the invention applied to a sparkplug, portions of the barrel and stem being broken away;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the invention per se;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the subject shown inFigure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional detail of the spark plugretaining means applied to a terminal nut of a plug;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view of a barrel used in theinvention; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of a stem used therein.

Like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts in thespecification throughout the several views.

and

Referring now to the accompanying drawings.

in detail, the invention consists of a spark'plu installing and removingtool designated generally by the reference character ID, the sameembodying in its construction an elongated spark plug receiving socketl2 which is preferably of a hexagonal cross-sectional configuration andhas an open spark plug receiving end l4 and a closed outer end l5 which,in turn, is provided with a central screw-threaded aperture l8. It is tobe noted that the closed end portion of the socket I2 is substantiallyreduced in diameter, and by virtue of its hexagonal configuration,affords a region 20 to receive a wrench or the like (not shown) wherebytightening or loosening of the spark plug may be effected.

A rotatable locking member designated generally by the referencecharacter 22 extends inl to the socket I2, this member consisting of atubular barrel 24 provided with external screw threads to operativelyengage the screw threaded aperture [8 of the socket, the outer end ofthe barrel 26 being equipped with a multi-sided head 26, while the innerend portion of the barrel is reduced in diameter and is internallyscrewthreaded, as at 28.

A stem 30, provided at its outer end with a polygonal head. 32, isrotatably disposed in the barrel 24 and in the inner end portion thereofis diametrically reduced and screw-threaded as at 34 to engage the screwthreaded bore or portion 28 of the barrel 24, substantially as shown.

Having thus described the construction of the invention, its manner ofoperation will now be explained.

If it is assumed that a conventional spark plug 36 is to be installed inthe screw-threaded bore 38 of a cylinder block or head 40, and assuming,further, that in accordance with the conventional practice the sparkplug 38 is provided with a nut-shaped member shown in Figure 1 asengaged by the socket end I4 and a terminal stud or post 42, the tool I0is so applied that the spark plug 36 is non-rotatably received in thesocket l2, after which the stem 30 is rotated outwardly from the barrel24 to a sufficient extent that the terminal post 42 of the plug may bereceived in the bore 28 of the barrel 24 which, of course, is effectedby screwing the barrel inwardly in the aperture l8, as shown inFigure 1. In this manner, the spark plug 36 will be retained in thebarrel l2, whereupon a wrench may be applied 3 to the portion 20 of thebarrel for the purp of tightening or removing the plug, as desired.

It is to be noted that this operation may be performed under suchcircumstances regardless of the presence or absence of the stem 30.

However, when the terminal post 42 of the plug is equipped with theusual nut 44, the stem 30 is screwed inwardly in the barrel 34 so thatthe portion 34 of the stem projects outwardly from the bore 28 and maythen be engaged with the screw threads of the nut 44, as shown in Figure6. The structural arrangement in this instance is, of course, different,but the result remains the same, namely, that the spark plug 36 isretained in the socket I2 while the installing or removing operation isbeing efiected.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will beclearly apparent from the foregoing disclosure, and accordingly furtherdescription thereof at this point is deemed unnecessary.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

A spark plug installing and removing tool, comprising an elongatedsocket provided at one end thereof with a screw threaded opening andprovided at its other end with a polygonal wrench portion tonon-rotatably engage a spark plug, an externally screw-threaded barrelthreadedly mounted in said opening and extending into said socket, aportion of said barrel in the socket being internally screw-threaded toengage a spark plug terminal, and a rotatable locking stem disposed insaid barrel and having a screw-threaded portion engaging the internalscrew-threads of the barrel, said screw-threaded portion of said stembeing projectable and retractable in the adjacent end portion of thebarrel to afford a secondary spark plug terminal engaging element.

LOUIS J. GUISTI.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,294,193 Merriman Aug. 25, 19422,417,598 Jones Mar. 18, 1947 2,461,680 Cousino Feb. 15, 1949 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 418,760 Great Britain Oct. 31, 1934

